Dani Strong Gave Us What We Need

The Bus took a trip to the park on Wednesday evening to take in the amazing Dani Strong. And she gave us exactly what we need.

What a perfect setting. The rains stopped, the air was summertime humid, and we were situated in Town Park in Aurora which is an old park lush with huge trees and a wonderful bandshell for performances. Talk about a setting! Add to this picture, the totally original and down to earth talents of Dani Strong and you’ve got a winning combination. And what a treat for residents in the Aurora and Newmarket area.

Dani Strong performs at Town Park in Aurora, ON. Photo: Scott Burns

Dani Strong performs at Town Park in Aurora, ON. Photo: Scott Burns

There was a really nice sized crowd on hand for this free show, and the numbers grew as the show went on. People took up spots on the park benches, or brought their own folding chairs. It just had such a good vibe and small town feel, it was wonderful. Great energy. I think there could have been even more people, however the rains and thunderstorms that preceded the show seemed to scare some people off. Understandable. But I think that the energy would have been the same whether there was 100 or 10,000 in the audience. Dani just knows how to perform, sing and play from the heart and connect with her crowd. She’s so comfortable on the stage and the music just flows from her.

Dani Strong performs at Town Park in Aurora, ON. Photo: Scott Burns

Dani Strong performs at Town Park in Aurora, ON. Photo: Scott Burns

Dani and her band (drummer Grant Taylor (her husband), guitarist Mike Bowell, Steve Gotlib on bass, and Shane Guse on fiddle) rolled through two sets of music that captivated everyone in the park. Stand outs for me were What You Need and Healing. There were a couple of times during the show, where she vacated her set list because she just felt inclined to play something different. And it wasn’t awkward, or disjointed. Again, it just flowed. She’s amazing at her craft and knows how to tell a story through her dialogue and her lyrics. It is something that sets her apart from some others, and made the night special.

Dani Strong performs at Town Park in Aurora, ON. Photo: Scott Burns

Dani Strong performs at Town Park in Aurora, ON. Photo: Scott Burns

Mother nature decided she had a little unfinished business as the concert was winding down, providing a pretty good downpour as Dani and the band played Where The Heck Is Dixieland. But the rain didn’t dampen the spirit or ruin what was a fantastic night of music. Congrats to the Town of Aurora on having this Concerts In The Park program.

Dani will also be performing at the Uxbridge Rib Fest on July 14, The Toronto Festival of Beer (Exhibition Place, Toronto) July 30, Kempenfest in Barrie on August 6 and the massive Boots and Hearts Festival in Oro/Medonte on August 13.